What are local listings?
First of all, let’s define what local listings are, so we’re all on the same page. Local listings are websites that serve as business directories for people looking for a specific product or service. For example, if someone is searching for a plumber, the local listing site will show them plumbers in the area. These listings provide business contact information and details about products and services.
Why are online local listings important?
If you’re a business that relies on local foot traffic for profits, then your target audience needs to be able to easily find you. With local listings, your target market can find you no matter where they are searching on the internet. Having your business listed gives them an easy way to find your physical location, your website, contact info and read reviews.
Did you know that businesses with complete business information online are twice as likely to be considered reputable by consumers? That means it’s extremely important to have your information updated and consistent across all the local listing sites.
How to get started
Now, I know what you’re going to say–
“I don’t have time to update my information on all those sites. What is the most important site to be listed on?”
By far, the site that gets the most traffic, and the one you should update first, is Google. If you’ve ever used Google Maps to search for a business, you’ve seen all the information that comes up on the map – name, address, phone number, website. So how exactly can you get on Google’s Map? By creating a Google My Business account. We’ll explain this in more detail below:
Don’t want to go it alone? You’re in luck!
We’re hosting a workshop to walk you through it on March 23!
Getting on Google’s map
Your first step to getting on Google’s Map is to sign into your Google account. Then, you can check your listing by visiting this link and entering your business name and location. Depending on whether your business is already listed or not, you can follow the steps below:
Claiming Your Business
If your business is already on Google’s Map, but you don’t have access to it, you’ll need to claim it. To do this, find your business using the link above, select it, and click “Request Ownership”. Google will then send you a postcard with a verification code, or call your office if you have a phone number on the listing. Once your business is claimed, you’ll have access to update information.
OR
Create a New Listing
If your business is NOT on Google’s Map, you’ll need to create a new listing. You can do this by using the link above to clicking “Add your business”. Google will still need to verify the listing with a postcard, but once that’s done, you’ll have access to your listing.
If you would like to learn more about getting your business listed on Google, join us for our workshop on March 23!
Other Local Listings
As I previously mentioned, Google is only part of the local listing landscape however. To take full advantage of local listings, you should get your business listed on multiple sites. Below are the top local listing sites for boosting your site and helping your business get noticed.
| 2findlocal 411 8coupons ABLocal AirYell Allonesearch AmericanTowns Apple AroundMe Avantar Bing Bizwiki Brownbook.net ChamberofCommerce.com Citysearch CitySquares CoPilot Credibility Review credibility.com Cylex DexKnows eLocal EZlocal | Factual Foursquare GetFaveGoLocal247 Google My Business Google+ HERE HotFrog iBegin iGlobal Insider Pages Kudzu Local.com LocalDatabase LocalPages LocalStack MapQuest MerchantCircle My Local Services n49 Navmii Opendi Pointcom ShowMeLocal | Soleo Superpages |
If you don’t have time to get to all them, no worries. Start with a few listings as you have time and you if you find you really don’t have the time to get it done, contact us and we can help you get all your listings published quickly!